On Deck: The first-place Creighton softball team celebrates Senior Day when it completes its regular-season schedule against eighth-place Wichita State in a Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) series slated to begin at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday at the CU Sports Complex. The teams will complete the series with a doubleheader at noon on Sunday.

Three Creighton seniors - Ashley Frutos, Sammy Snygg and Amy Baker - will be honored in after the single game Saturday. Collectively, the Class of 2013 compiled a 117-92-1 overall record over the past four seasons. The trio has accounted for an NCAA Tournament berth and an MVC Tournament Championship. This season they have helped put Creighton in position to compete for another title.

Creighton (27-16, 13-6 MVC) is seeking its first MVC regular season championship since 2009. The Bluejays are currently in first place by percentage points over second-place Drake. CU controls its own destiny and can claim the top overall seed in the tournament with a sweep of the Shockers this weekend.

In other action atop the Valley standings, Drake is scheduled to host fourth-place Northern Iowa in Des Moines for a doubleheader while third-place Illinois State is slated to play two on the road at Evansville this weekend.

Wichita State (18-30, 9-13 MVC) is also looking to improve its standing this weekend and secure a berth in the MVC Tournament. The Shockers can still finish as high as sixth place in the Valley or as low as ninth place and outside of the MVC Tournament’s top eight.

Shortly after claiming the MVC career home run record outright, Creighton senior Amy Baker became the first player to eclipse the Valley RBI career mark last month.

However, Baker is in an active battle with Illinois State senior Elizabeth Kay to claim the top RBI mark. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Kay’s career total of 166 RBI is just one ahead of Baker at 165 career runs batted in.

Following the Jays: Live stats links for the game can be found on the softball schedule page of GoCreighton.com. Fans can also keep in touch with Creighton softball on Twitter - @BluejaySoftball and Facebook - www.facebook.com/CreightonSoftball.

Last Time Out: Creighton dropped an MVC doubleheader for the first in almost a year at Drake Tuesday evening as the Bluejays fell 5-4 in the opener before a 9-1 setback in game two at the Bulldogs’ Buel Field.

The last time CU was swept in a Valley twin bill was last season on May 5, 2012 against Missouri State.

Eight different Bluejays posted hits against Drake on the evening, resulting in a total of 13. Junior Ellen Homan led the CU bats with three hits, including Creighton’s lone extra-base hit - a triple, and four walks. Sophomore Liz Dike added three singles and senior Amy Baker connected on two. Creighton left 14 runners on base in game one, part of 20 Jays stranded on the day.

Down 5-4 game one, the designated home team of the Bluejays loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh but could not plate a run as DU relief pitcher Jordan Gronewold earned a save by recording three K’s to get out of the jam.

Drake scored nine unanswered runs, including five runs in the bottom of the fourth, to take control of game two and complete the sweep of the Jays in Des Moines.

Scouting Creighton (27-16, 13-6 MVC): Creighton enters the month of May on its longest losing streak of the season, albeit a modest three-game road slide, after dropping a pair of games at Drake Tuesday night.

The host Bulldogs edged the Bluejays 5-4 in game one before taking game two 9-1 in five innings in Des Moines. Last weekend, CU dropped the series finale at Missouri State 10-5 after claiming a 3-1 victory over the Bears in the opener.

The Jays have won five of seven MVC series this year. Creighton claimed all five three-game sets in the league before a 1-1 split at MSU last weekend and dropping two at Drake on Tuesday.

Creighton has won eight of its last 13 games dating back to April 6. CU is 7-3 at home this season and has won four of its last five at home in Valley play.

Creighton (27-16, 13-6 MVC) is seeking its first MVC regular season championship since 2009. The Bluejays are currently in first place by percentage points over second-place Drake. CU controls its own destiny and can claim the top overall seed in the tournament with a sweep of the Shockers this weekend.

Junior pitcher Becca Changstrom’s 231 strikeouts this season ranks seventh all-time in the CU record books. Remarkably, her total is more than seven of the Valley’s pitching staff team totals for K’s and just shy of staff totals by Drake (232) and Bradley (233) in 2013.

In the circle, CU junior pitchers Changstrom and Alexis Cantu are among the top nine in the Valley ERA standings. Changstrom leads the MVC with a 1.81 ERA while Cantu boasts a 3.32 ERA. As a staff, the Jays lead the conference with a 2.52 ERA and 300 strikeouts.

Senior Amy Baker maintained her MVC home run career record of 57 this week.

Shortly after claiming the MVC career home run record outright, Baker became the first player to eclipse the Valley RBI career mark last month.

However, she is in an active battle with Illinois State senior Elizabeth Kay to claim the top RBI mark. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Kay’s career total of 166 RBI is just one ahead of Baker at 165 career runs batted in.

Sophomore Liz Dike has posted a hit in nine consecutive games for the Bluejays. The streak is a career-best mark for Dike after posting hits in six straight contests last season.

Four Creighton players who have notched at least 60 at-bats in 2013 are hitting .290 or better including Baker (.384), Dike (.352), junior Blair Lowe (.317) and freshman Blake Ringle (.290). Creighton ranks fifth in the Valley with a .267 batting average. The Jays’ 44 home runs and .443 slugging percentage are tops in the MVC.

Scouting Wichita State (18-30, 9-13 MVC): Wichita State enters the final weekend of the regular season in eighth place. WSU is looking to improve its standing this weekend against CU and secure a berth in the MVC Tournament. The Shockers can still finish as high as sixth place in the Valley or as low as ninth place and outside of the MVC Tournament’s top eight.

Wichita State dropped a 5-3 decision at Missouri State on Tuesday after taking two out of three games from second-place Drake at home last weekend. The Shockers came back to take the final two games with 6-1 and 8-4 victories over the Bulldogs.

Those two wins stand as WSU's only victories in the last 10 contests (2-8). Wichita State is only 2-6 in true road games this season.

Wichita State is ninth in the league with a .249 team batting average. The Shockers’ pitching staff ranks sixth in the Valley with a 4.02 team ERA this season. WSU’s total of 69 doubles stands second in the MVC this year.

Four of the Shockers’ starters are hitting .272 or better at the plate in 2013 including Erin Carney (.288), Danika Miller (.283), Hayley Temple (.273) and Melanie Jaegers (.272).

Jaegers leads the team with five homers and 15 stolen bases. Temple leads the Shockers with 39 base hits.

In the circle, Katie Armagost leads WSU with 25 starts in 35 appearances. She carries a 3.25 ERA with a 6-18 record. Through 174.1 innings of work she has registered 110 strikeouts and 92 walks. Sloan Anderson has made 30 appearances with 21 starts in 2013. She owns a 4.35 ERA and 66 strikeouts. Anderson is 12-10 overall this season.

Head Coach: The winningest coach in Creighton athletics history, Brent Vigness is in his 20th season at the helm of one of the most successful programs in the Midwest and Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). He carries a 633-444-3 record in 19-plus seasons at Creighton and boasts a 781-515-4 overall record that includes five years at Assumption College prior to beginning at CU.

A three-time MVC Coach of the Year, he has led the Bluejays to six MVC regular-sea­son titles (1998-2000, 2007-09), six Valley tournament titles (1999, 2003-05, 2007, 2010) and seven NCAA regional appearances (1999, 2003-05, 2007-08, 2010). He claimed MVC Coach of the Year honors in 1998 and guided the MVC Coaching Staffs of the Year in 2007 and 2008.

Vigness coached his 1,000th game at Creighton and recorded his 600th win at CU in 2012.

Creighton-Wichita State Series: The Bluejays lead the all-time series with the Shockers 47-27.

Creighton swept the series 3-0 at Wichita State last season winning each game by a margin of eight or more runs. However, WSU swept CU 3-0 the last time the teams met in Omaha in 2011.

Creighton has won 10 of the last 14 overall in the series.

The teams first met in 1981 when Creighton battled Wichita State on April 17 and swept a doubleheader. The Bluejays won the first 11 meetings between the squads.

The teams have met every season since 1993 when Creighton joined the MVC for softball, with the exception of the 1999 campaign.

Honoring the 2013 Senior Class: Collectively, this group of seniors has put together a 117-92-1 overall record over the past four seasons. The trio has accounted for an NCAA Tournament berth and a Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament Championship. This season they have helped put Creighton in position to compete for another title.

#7 Ashley Frutos - Over her four-year career in Omaha, Frutos has started 120 games in the White and Blue and played in 132 contests. She has played in every game this season, starting all but one, primarily at second base. The reliable infielder leads the team with 57 assists in 2013. Frutos also leads the Jays with eight sacrifice hits this year. Her career total of 30 sacrifices ranks just outside the top 10 totals in CU history. This year, Frutos posted the first stolen base of her career and set career highs in games played, starts, at-bats, walks, putouts and assists.

#19 Sammy Snygg - During the past four seasons at Creighton, Snygg has started 117 contests and played in 155 games in a Bluejay uniform. This year she has primarily played at third base. The versatile defender has also played at first base and as a designated player while making 54 career appearances in the circle for the Jays. Snygg registered career highs in batting average and slugging percentage and notched the second stolen base of her career this season. She belted her fourth career home run during the opening weekend of this season against then-No. 14 Florida. Snygg recently claimed the Leadership and Service Award from the MVC.

#21 Amy Baker - After four record-setting seasons with the Jays, Baker has left an indelible mark on the Creighton and MVC record books. She has started every game during the past three seasons with a career total of 201 starts and 208 games played primarily at first base and catcher. This season Baker became the career leader in the MVC and Creighton record books with 57 home runs and 165 RBI. A three-time All-MVC Selection, she also ranks among the top 10 at Creighton all-time in batting average, hits, total bases and walks. Baker currently leads the Valley in slugging percentage at .824 as well as home runs with 16 and rates among the top 20 players in the NCAA for each category this season. This year Baker reached base in 37 consecutive games, the most by any Creighton player dating back to 1999.

Changstrom Surpasses 200 Strikeouts in Stellar Season: On April 21, CU junior pitcher Becca Changstrom became just the third Bluejay in program history to record 200 strikeouts in a single season. After fanning eight Drake batters on Tuesday, Changstrom boasts 231 K’s this year.

She joined former Creighton aces Tammy Nielsen and Tara Oltman in the exclusive club. Changstrom’s total ranks No. 7 all-time in the CU record books for a single season. She needs 31 more strikeouts to take over sixth place in program history.

Remarkably, her total of 231 strikeouts this year is more than seven of the Valley’s pitching staff team totals for K’s and just shy of staff totals by Drake (232) and Bradley (233) in 2013.

The Lincoln, Neb., native struck out 23 Salukis on April 20-21 with a pair of double-digit strikeout performances. With a dozen K's in game one versus SIU and 11 more in game three she increased her season total of double-digit strikeout efforts to 11 this season to lead the Valley.

The rest of the league owns just seven games total with 10 or more strikeouts. No other MVC pitcher can claim more than three such efforts in 2013.

Changstrom Earns CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors: Junior Becca Changstrom earned 2013 Capital One Academic All-District VII First Team honors as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the organization announced Thursday.

Changstrom received recognition for hard work both on the field and in the classroom. The Academic All-District honor is the first for the Changstrom.

As a First Team All-District member Changstrom will be placed on a national ballot for a chance to be recognized as an Academic All-America selection while competing against student-athletes from across the country.

The Lincoln, Neb., native has put together a career year in the circle for the Bluejays in 2013. As a result, Changstrom claimed MVC Pitcher of the Week laurels four times and won three MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors this season.

On April 21, Changstrom became just the third Bluejay in program history to record 200 strikeouts in a single season. She joined former Creighton aces Tammy Nielsen and Tara Oltman in the exclusive club.

Changstrom carries a 3.85 grade point average in chemistry.

The last time a Bluejay earned an Academic All-District First Team selection was in 2010 when Oltman earned the accolade. She went on to claim her third CoSIDA Academic All-America honor that season as a senior, one of nine Academic All-America selections in Creighton softball history.

Creighton and the NCAA RPI: Creighton currently stands at No. 69 out of 291 squads in the NCAA ratings percentage index (RPI) compiled on Monday.

The Bluejays are 3-6 this season against teams ranked ahead of them in the latest calculations.

CU dropped a 5-2 contest on opening day to No. 49 San Diego State on Feb. 7 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

A day later at the Classic this week’s No. 3 Florida squad defeated Creighton 13-3. Later that same day the Bluejays toppled No. 33 Oregon State, 5-3.

The Jays overwhelmed No. 63 Ball State 7-1 at the Central Arkansas Tournament on Feb. 22 before falling to host UCA, the No. 67 squad this week, 13-2 later that evening.

The Bluejays dropped a 5-0 contest to No. 61 Eastern Illinois at the Rebel Spring Games on March 10.

Creighton owns a 4-3 win in eight innings over this week’s No. 26 team, Tulsa, at the UTA Maverick Invitational on March 2.

On April 3, No. 6 Nebraska escaped with a 4-3 victory over the Bluejays at the CU Sports Complex. The Jays later dropped a 6-0 decision at Nebraska on April 24.

Illinois State is the only Missouri Valley Conference team ranked higher than the Jays; the Redbirds currently rate No. 47. Illinois State and Creighton cancelled their season series due to inclement weather on April 22.

Baker Ranks Among Top 20 in Three NCAA Offensive Categories: Senior Amy Baker ranks No. 12 in the country for home runs per game (0.39). She stands at No. 15 nationally in slugging percentage (.849). Baker’s season home run total of 16 is tied for No. 19 in the country this week.

Bluejays’ NCAA Rankings this Week: Creighton ranks No. 27 in the country at 1.07 home runs per game in the latest NCAA weekly statistical rankings released April 28.

The Bluejays stand at No. 42 nationally with an earned run average of 2.31. With 1.34 doubles per game, the team also rates at No. 57 in the country. Creighton’s slugging percentage of .448 ranks No. 59 in the NCAA.

Individually, junior Becca Changstrom’s average of 9.0 strikeouts per seven innings stands at No. 21 in the NCAA while her season strikeout total of 223 ranks No. 23 nationally. Changstrom’s total of six shutouts in 2013 is tied for No. 31 in the country. The hurler’s total of 20 victories ranks No. 38 in the NCAA while her 1.69 ERA rates No. 47 nationally.

Baker Writes Recipe for Record-Setting Success in 2013: Senior Amy Baker maintained the Missouri Valley Conference home run record last week at a career total of 57.

Last month Baker belted career home run No. 52 to spark a come-from-behind victory at Evansville on March 16 and tie the MVC career home run record held by Abby Olson of Illinois State since 2011.

Baker’s total of 16 homers this year already equals the fourth-best mark for a single season in the CU record books. She is two home runs short of her career-best total of 18 that ranks second all-time in program history.

Shortly after claiming the MVC career home run record outright, Creighton senior Amy Baker became the first player to eclipse the Valley RBI career mark last month.

However, Baker is in an active battle with Illinois State senior Elizabeth Kay to claim the top RBI mark. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Kay’s career total of 166 RBI is just one ahead of Baker at 165 career runs batted in.

In 2013, Baker has already set Creighton career marks in home runs (57) and runs batted in (165).

Give the Bluejays a Lead and You May Not Get it Back: Creighton is undefeated this season when leading after the third (14-0), fourth (17-0), and sixth (14-0) innings.

The Bluejays also have impressive records with an advantage at the beginning of the game. CU is 10-2 when leading after the first frame and 13-2 when up after two innings. The Jays are 14-1 when leading after five innings.

Creighton's Magic Numbers:

· Creighton is undefeated at 20-0 this season when allowing opponents fewer than three runs.

· The Bluejays are 20-2 when scoring four or more runs on offense in 2013.

· CU is 20-5 when scoring first this season.

· Creighton is 23-2 when posting more hits than its foes this year.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Just five weeks into the season, junior Alexis Cantu set the Creighton single-season mark for being hit by a pitch in 11 plate appearances. On Tuesday she earned her 13th free base after getting hit at Drake.

Former Bluejay Michelle Graner held the previous record of 10 set in 2008.

Cantu’s hit-by-pitch per game average of 0.29 stands No. 34 in the nation.

Cantu was hit multiple times on two occasions this year. Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff she was hit three times in four plate appearances. Cantu was hit by a pitch in each game of the Jays’ series at Evansville. The Aces registered two HBP’s against Cantu in game two sandwiched between one hit-by-pitch in the games one and three.

Baker Climbs to the Top of CU Career Record Books: Last month senior Amy Baker claimed the top spot in the all-time Creighton record books for home runs and runs batted in.

The senior’s career total of 57 homers surpassed the previous top mark of 50, set by current assistant coach Renae Sinkler in 2010. Baker has also set the Missouri Valley Conference mark.

With 164 career runs batted in, Baker recently moved past both of her assistant coaches in the rankings Abby Johnson (144) and Sinkler (146) to claim the top spot.

Baker is also among the Creighton career top 10 for batting average, total bases and walks.

Baker leads the Valley in home runs (16), total bases (103) and slugging percentage (.824) this season.

Walk It Off in Grand Style: Amy Baker’s walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning against Youngstown State on March 12 secured a 6-2 win and marked the 16th time a CU player hit a walk-off blast since 2001.

The slam also marked the third straight season with a walk-off home run. In 2012

Alexis Cantu’s three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth inning vs. Missouri State on May 6 beat the Bears, 5-4.

Cantu’s first career walk-off homer was the first by any Bluejay since Sammy Snygg posted one against Bradley on April 2, 2011.

Stacey Rybar is the last Bluejay with two walk-off homers in the same season (2002), and also the last Bluejay with a walk-off homer in the MVC Tournament (May 10, 2002 vs. UNI).

Homer Cooking: After not hitting a home run in the first two games of 2013, Creighton jacked at least one ball over the fence in 10 consecutive contests before the streak was halted at UT Arlington for three games.

Creighton has drilled a home run in 17 of its last 25 contests, including six multi-homer games. Freshman Blake Ringle belted the Bluejays’ lone homer of the week in the top of the first of the series finale at Missouri State on Sunday.

Freshman Kelsey Allender’s first career grand slam highlighted the series versus UNI on March 29. The slam was the Jays’ second of the year following Amy Baker’s walk-off grand slam against Youngstown State on March 12.

As a result, CU leads the Valley with 44 homers this season. The Bluejays rank No. 27 nationally with 1.07 home runs per game in the latest NCAA statistical rankings released April 29.

Seven Bluejays have hit multiple home runs this season led by Amy Baker’s league-leading total of 16. Joining Baker with more than one homer in 2013 is Ringle (7), sophomore Bri Lingl (6), junior Alexis Cantu (6) sophomore Liz Dike (3), junior Blair Lowe (2) and Allender (2).

Allender hit her first career home run of an inside-the-park variety against Grambling State Feb. 24. Allender’s inside-the-park home run is the first since Dike scored two of them last season, the last against Wichita State on April 7, 2012.

Senior Sammy Snygg also rifled a shot over the wall versus then-No. 14 Florida in Creighton’s opening weekend. Junior Ellen Homan drilled a three-run homer at home against Bradley April 6.

April Showers Bring a Mixed Bag: April brought some sun, lots of rain and some snow to Omaha as Creighton finished with an 8-7 record for the month. The Bluejays saw six games cancelled due to inclement weather in the up-and-down 30-day period.

Creighton posted its longest win streak of the season at six consecutive wins in the middle of April but also ended the month on a three-game slide – also the longest of the season for the Jays.

Missouri State Series Recap: Creighton split a doubleheader at Missouri State April 28 as the Bluejays won the opener 3-1 before falling 10-5 in game two at the Bears’ Killian Stadium.

MSU and CU each posted 13 hits but the Bears plated 11 runs to just eight for the Bluejays. The Creighton pitching staff only allowed three earned runs on the day but seven Bluejay errors came back to haunt CU - including six miscues in game two alone.

The six errors in game two marked the most since the Jays committed one-half dozen miscues against Northern Iowa on April 2, 2006.

Freshman Blake Ringle led the Bluejays at the plate with three hits and a trio of RBI in six at-bats including a home run to give Creighton an early lead in game two. Sophomore Liz Dike posted three hits and scored a pair of runs.

Junior Becca Changstrom earned the complete-game win in the opener to improve 20-7 with nine strikeouts and without yielding an earned run. Noteworthy, Changstrom passed MSU head coach - and former Bluejay hurler - Holly Hesse on the CU all-time career wins list with the victory over the Bears.

Nebraska Rivalry Part Two: The Creighton softball team dropped a 6-0 decision at No. 20 Nebraska April 24 at the Cornhuskers’ Bowlin Stadium.

Nebraska used three home runs to score all of its runs. Creighton managed a pair of hits and left five runners on base. Junior Ellen Homan notched the first hit of the game with an infield single to third in the second inning. Freshman Erin McGonigal recorded her first career hit in the third frame on a slap single down the left field line in her first career start.

Southern Illinois Series Recap: For the first time since 2009, Creighton welcomed Southern Illinois to Omaha for an MVC series. The Jays took two out of three contests to claim their fifth MVC series win of the year and remain in first place in the Valley standings.

Creighton won a wild series opener in dramatic fashion. After seven complete innings of scoreless ball, SIU and Creighton exploded for 11 runs in the eighth inning. After the Salukis posted five runs in the top of the frame, Creighton answered with six in the bottom of the eighth to cap a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

The Bluejays batted around in the bottom of the eighth as freshman Blake Ringle ripped a three-run pinch hit homer and junior Ellen Homan ended the game with a two-RBI bases-loaded single for the 6-5 win.

Southern Illinois snapped Creighton’s season-long six-game win streak with a 6-1 victory in game two. The Bluejays blanked SIU 5-0 in the finale to capture the series win.

Junior pitcher Becca Changstrom went undefeated against Southern Illinois with a pair of complete-game victories while surpassing the 200-strikeout mark.

In her two starts against the Salukis, Changstrom pitched 15.0 innings giving up just five runs on 10 hits, resulting in an ERA of 2.33. She only allowed the Salukis one inning of scoring all weekend and shut out SIU in the series finale.

As a result, Changstrom claimed MVC Pitcher of the Week honors for her play.

Indiana State Series Recap: For the first time since 2005, Creighton posted a road sweep at Indiana State. The Bluejays won game one of a doubleheader 3-1 before dominating the nightcap with a 16-5 victory in five frames Saturday. CU closed the series with a 9-1 victory in six innings on Sunday.

Creighton hit seven homers on the weekend including a pair from senior Amy Baker and two from junior Blair Lowe. Coming into the weekend, Lowe boasted one career home run, but hit two homers out of the Sycamores’ Price Field. Lowe and sophomore Liz Dike finished the weekend with a .636 average at the dish with 7-of-11 efforts.

As a result, Lowe claimed MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors for her play in Terre Haute.

Marching into Spring: Creighton finished the month of March with a 14-5 record this year. The Jays closed out the month on a four-game win streak and opened its home season with a three-game sweep of Northern Iowa to take over first place in the Valley.

Last season the Bluejays finished 9-10 in the third month of 2012.

Bradley Series Recap: Creighton took two out of three games from Bradley at home April 6-7. Each game of the series was decided by just one run.

Bradley won the opener 3-2 before the Bluejays came from behind to take game two of a doubleheader 6-5 in eight innings on April 6. CU jumped out to a 3-0 lead April 7 before BU scored two in its final at-bat for a 3-2 Jays’ win.

Day one of the series ended in dramatic fashion. Junior Ellen Homan connected on a three-run home run just over the right field wall to tie game two at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning. It marked Homan’s first home run of the season and third of her career.

In her first at-bat of the season, junior right-handed pitcher Becca Changstrom capped the come-from-behind victory with a walk-off double to right center in the bottom of the eighth inning of game two to give the Jays a 6-5 victory over BU.

Nebraska Rivalry Part One: Down 4-3 with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Creighton softball team rallied to load the bases and put pressure on visiting No. 22 Nebraska but the Cornhuskers got out of the jam to escape with the one-run victory at the CU Sports Complex Wednesday evening.

Creighton jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Senior Amy Baker drew a two-out walk before junior Alexis Cantu drilled a two-run homer over the left field wall to put the Bluejays up two after one inning.

Nebraska quickly answered in the top of the second inning with back-to-back solo home runs then took the lead for good in the fifth before adding an insurance run in the seventh. The Huskers handled the pressure to strike out the final two Bluejay batters and escape with a 4-3 victory.

Northern Iowa Series Recap: Creighton swept a three-game series from Northern Iowa March 29-30 at the CU Sports Complex. The Bluejays swept a Friday doubleheader by scores of 4-1 and 11-1, with the second game shortened to five innings. CU clinched the Saturday finale 4-2.

Sophomore Liz Dike led the Bluejay offense last weekend with five hits versus Northern Iowa. Including a 4-for-4 effort in the finale. She recorded a triple, double and pair of singles. Freshman Kelsey Allender hit the first home run at the CU Sports Complex of 2013, and her second career homer with a grand slam in game two.

Junior Becca Changstrom remained undefeated in MVC starts at 4-0 and improved to 13-4 overall this season after registering two complete-game wins. She gave up just three earned runs on nine hits through 14 innings in the circle resulting in a 1.50 ERA. Changstrom notched her seventh double-digit strikeout performance in the opener with 11 K's.

Evansville Series Recap: Creighton senior Amy Baker capped off a record-setting week by blasting career home run No. 52 to spark a come-from-behind victory at Evansville March 16 and tie the MVC career home run record.

CU junior Becca Changstrom matched her career high of 13 K's on Friday night in a conference-opening win at Evansville. She struck out 10 Purple Aces in the series finale a day later.

The Bluejays opened the MVC season at 2-1 on the road for the third consecutive season. Creighton also went 2-1 at Evansville to begin the 2011 conference slate before the Jays earned a 2-1 split at Bradley last season.

Rebel Spring Games Recap: The Bluejays went 6-2 at the 2013 Rebel Spring Games March 9-13. The wins increased Creighton’s all-time record at the tourney to 49-9 (.845) in six appearances at the Florida tourney all under current head coach Brent Vigness.

The Bluejays shut out five opponents (Saint Francis (PA), North Dakota, Butler, Fairleigh Dickinson and Army) over the four-day span. The exception was a 6-2 victory over Youngstown State in eight innings after a walk-off grand slam from senior Amy Baker.

One CU loss was a no-hit 5-0 defeat at the hands of Eastern Illinois on March 10. Three days later Creighton dropped a 3-1 decision to Robert Morris.

UTA Maverick Invitational Recap: The Bluejays went 3-2 at the UTA Maverick Invitational in Arlington, Texas, to improve to 8-6 this season. After a pair of wins over host UTA and Lamar on March 1, CU upset then No. 21 Tulsa 4-3 in extra innings on March 2 for its first win over a ranked team since February 2010.

The Bluejays' bats struggled in the final two games of the tourney resulting in losses to Lamar and the host Mavericks. The losses snapped a five-game win streak for the Jays.

Fantastic February Finishes: Creighton finished the month of February with a 5-4 record. It marks the seventh straight season that head coach Brent Vigness has directed the Bluejays to a winning record in the first month of the season.

The Bluejays are 46-24 in February spanning those seven seasons to the beginning of 2007. CU’s 5-4 mark this season is the same record the Jays had in 2010 – the year of the program’s last NCAA Tournament appearance.

Central Arkansas Tournament Recap: The Bluejays went 3-1 at the Central Arkansas Tournament in Conway, Ark., to improve to 5-4 this season. CU’s only loss was to host UCA in its first true road game this season. Creighton outscored opponents 35-16 last weekend. The Bluejays hit .353 as a team over the four games while holding opponents to a .271 average.

The Bluejays are 8-1 all-time at tournaments hosted by Central Arkansas. Creighton went undefeated in five games at the UCA Spring Clash to open the 2007 campaign. The Jays are now 2-1 all-time against UCA with two wins in the 2007 tourney.

Kajikawa Classic Recap: Creighton opened 2013 at the Kajikawa Classic Feb. 7-9 with wins over New Mexico and Oregon State, leading to a 2-3 record. The Bluejays are 5-6 all-time at the Kajikawa Classic following a 3-3 ledger at Tempe in 2010.

Déjà Vu vs. OSU: Creighton’s win over Oregon State on Feb. 8, marked the Jays’ second-straight victory over the Beavers by the same score (5-3) in the same tournament (Kajikawa Classic) at the same location (Tempe, Ariz.), three years apart. CU is now 2-2 against the Pac-12 foe and head coach Brent Vigness is 2-1 versus OSU.

Telecky on Top against Oregon State:Brittany Telecky won her first start of the season in a 5-3 victory over Oregon State. The junior pitched 6 innings against OSU allowing just three runs on eight hits. She also came in as a relief pitcher against San Diego State for two innings, allowing no hits or runs and just one walk.

Season-Opening Salvo: The Bluejays’ season-opening win over New Mexico was Creighton’s third-straight victory to begin a season following opening-day wins in 2011 and 2012.

CU’s first-game win streak matches the longest in program history when the Jays previously won three consecutive openers from 2006-08 and 1998-2000. All three streaks were under the direction of current head coach Brent Vigness.

Creighton is 19-18 overall in season-opening contests including an 11-9 record under head coach Brent Vigness.

Preseason Predictions: The Creighton softball team placed four players on the 2013 preseason all-conference team as the league's coaches picked the Bluejays to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), the league office announced Jan. 23.

The fourth-place prediction is the highest preseason ranking for the Bluejays since 2010 when they were picked to win the Valley. Creighton has finished lower than fourth in the MVC regular season standings just three times in the past 16 seasons.

Senior catcher Amy Baker earned the second All-MVC preseason selection of her career to go with a nod from 2011 during her sophomore campaign. Additionally, three juniors claimed their first preseason honors in designated player and pitcher Alexis Cantu, pitcher Becca Changstrom and outfielder Ellen Homan. All four of the CU honorees earned All-MVC accolades after last season.

The four CU player selections match Southern Illinois for the most on the 2013 preseason squad. Additionally, the four players on the preseason all-conference team are the most for any Creighton squad dating back to 2004 when three Jays earned All-MVC preseason honors and current assistant Abby Johnson collected honorable mention recognition.

Recapping 2012: The Bluejays return 11 players from last season's team that compiled a 28-25-1 overall record and finished fifth in the MVC at 15-11. Creighton finished last season with a school-record 294 runs. CU led the MVC with a .292 batting average, 56 homers, 275 RBI and a .464 slugging percentage. The Jays ranked in the NCAA top-30 in scoring (No. 20), home runs per game (No. 22) and slugging percentage (No. 27) in 2012.

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SB: Providence at Creighton (5/3/14)

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SB: DePaul at Creighton (4/18/14)

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Creighton meets Villanova in a 16 inning thriller on the softball diamond.